Brother
by Blank 64
Summary: Kucho and his best friend, Angani, are driven out of their prideland by Kucho's own brother. They are taken in to another pride, but it's just not the same; Anga insists on going back, but Kucho, driven by fear, is against it. He may be the rightful King, but kin is a powerful adversary when it's against you.
1. Prologue

**Huh. It occurs to me how uncommon it is, for me, at least, to write a Lion King fanfiction on this place here. I guess it's just because it was what I felt like putting up first? I've felt like writing Lion King a lot lately, and of course I'm obsessed with OCs, so I had to throw in one, or two, or twenty... only three are actually important to the story. The rest of the names don't matter.**

**Anyway, I'm hoping you enjoy reading this. It would be nice to get a few reviews, but I see how small this section of Fanfiction is compared to a few of my other fandoms, so :3**

**So, I hope you enjoy, or at least don't think my writing is horrible and such. I'm pretty proud of these OCs - not necessarily my writing, but the characters. Please enjoy? Haha.**

**- B**

* * *

Kuchoma - young lion, about the same age as Simba was at the beginning of the first movie. Golden brown fur with a dark red tail-tuft.

Angani - young lion, roughly the same age as Kucho. Her fur is white, and her eyes are a reddish brown.

Nyasi - Pale tawny young adult lion, with a tar-black mane and green eyes. He constantly looks upset about something or another.

Other names you'll see: Vita (Nyasi's friend) Matu (Pride member) Vuli (Current King) Muziki (Vuli's mate)

* * *

"Get her out of there!" A desperate roar sounded from outside the ring of fire, where a small white cub stumbled out of a cave. It was surrounded by the fire, trapping the cub, and she was coughing. Her fur was stained with soot, and painted orange by the flames surrounding the rock. As others watched through a wall of flame, the cub tripped over her paws and collapsed on the ground, not moving except for the occasional cough that racked her small body.

With a choked cry, a second cub leaped through the wall and ran to the first cub's side, prodding at her gently with his paw. "Anga! Hey, Anga, get up, okay?" he said, raising his head briefly to look at the walls of fire. They were closing in, slowly, yes, but they were advancing. That always meant danger. "Angani!" he cried desperately, nudging her with his nose.

She blinked her eyes open weakly, smiling slightly. "Kucho..." she whispered, bursting out into another fit of coughing. "Kucho, you have to run. If you don't run... the fire... it will..." Her brown eyes widened, and she rolled over to shove herself to her paws. "I don't want to die like this," she coughed weakly, her legs shaking.

"I know," the other cub nodded, moving to her side to support her. "I've got you, Anga. Let's get away from the fire, now."

"The cave is surrounded..." Anga whispered. "There's no way we'll get out."

"No," Kucho's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head strongly. "No way. You've got to be wrong. I'll find you a way out, Angani. You won't die. I promise."

"Don't..." she was interrupted by a coughing fit. "Don'y make promises you can't keep." He stood firm, and she nodded to him, struggling to her paws and leaning against his shoulder to help her walk. Haltingly, and painfully slowly, they reentered the cave.

Kucho led Anga behind a rock, peering out from that measly shelter at the fire as it consumed what little vegetation lay between the two. The heat seared his throat, his lungs, his face, but he didn't duck out of the way, because Anga was there and needed all the protection she could get.

He heard a roar beyond the ones of fire and blood that filled his ears, and strained to hear. "...cho! Anga! Are you there? Answer!"

"We're here!" Kucho yowled back, as loudly as his voice could handle. "Nyasi! Vita! Matu! We're here!"

Angani raised her head, letting out a mewl of "Here!" in an attempt to help. Still, their pride didn't seem to be able to hear them. Kucho called out until his voice would no longer respond, and he was nearly knocked out by the heat of the fire.

As quickly as it had come, it left. A heavy rain started falling, drenching the fire and weakening it until it died completely. Kucho stepped out into the rain to cool himself down, and look for his family. "Nyasi!" he called, gaining a new voice now that the fire was gone. "Vita! Where are you guys? Matu! We're here!"

Behind him, Angani stumbled out of the cave, coughing. "The fire's gone," she said between them. The rain began to was the soot off her fur, revealing the cloudy white fur underneath.

"Yes," Kucho said, hanging his head. "But so has our family. I'm sorry, Anga."

Anga sat, resting in the cooling rain. "Don't worry, Kucho," she said confidently, "As soon as they know the fire's gone, they'll come looking for us." She settled down, resting her head on her paws. "I'm going... to... sleep..." she said, exhausted.

Kucho smiled at her, laying down beside her to offer what little comfort he might be able to give. "It won't be long," he promised both her and himself, closing his eyes.

When he awoke, the sun was against the horizon, about to set. The rain had cleared. He pricked his ears, raising his head to look around. Anga still rested peacefully beside him, and his eyes softened at the sight of her so rested, without the coughs that so often plagued her.

A stone hit the ground behind him, and he swung around, getting to his paws to see Nyasi behind him. He was a young adult, with a constantly disapproving expression and a tar-black mane wrapping around his face and neck. His green eyes conveyed more emotion than normal at this moment, though Kucho couldn't place it. Was it anger? Disappointment? Disgust? Pride, perhaps? Or maybe he was just seeing things. Nyasi never showed emotion.

"Kuchoma." Nyasi growled, slinking down off the shelf of rock on top of the cave that he perched on. "I have to congratulate you, dear brother, for protecting her." His pale tawny pelt shone orange in the direct sunlight, "When you jumped through that fire, I was sure you both were going to die."

Kucho stood his ground, glaring at the other lion, "We're both alive, Nyasi. No thanks to you, of course. Couldn't you hear me calling for you guys?"

"Not a word," Nyasi chuckled lowly, in a way that said that yes, he had absolutely heard. Circling around and bringing his face right in front of Kucho's, he breathed, "Jeez, Kuchoma. Imagine the despair of Muziki and Vuli and the others when they learn that you two died in a fire. Can't you understand the despair that you've caused them? They'll have to find another heir!"

Kucho wrinkled his nose at his brother's bad breath and odd words. "But, Nyasi, we're still alive-"

Nyasi began moving again, shaking his head as if he were disappointed. He stopped near the sleeping Angani, looking down on her with something in his eyes that Kucho didn't like at all. Maybe it was hunger.

"And this cub," Nyasi said, his voice dripping with fake grief, "Her death will cause an uproar! We won't only have lost our prince, but our bargaining chip as well! And you know what happens, Kuchoma, when an important member of another tribe dies under our care, yes? You're the heir, how could you not?"

Kucho felt the blood drain from his ears as he heard that, and understood its meaning. Nyasi had always come up with cruel strategies for getting what he wanted. But this... even this seemed over the top for him. "Nyasi... you wouldn't. You couldn't do that."

"Couldn't I?" Nyasi's grin grew wider with each word. "All my life - _all my life -_ I've waited to be made prince, you know. You have always been my only obstacle; perfect, darling little Kuchoma." His expression darkened. "You can do no wrong in our great leaders' eyes. Unless..." He opened his eyes wide, and began to laugh gleefully, "Unless they believe you dead! And then, when they deliver the sad, sad news about your little white cub there-"

"Anga," Kucho narrowed his eyes, letting his claws slide out as he looked at his brother carefully. "Her name is Anga."

Nyasi chuckled, "Dear Kuchoma, you know how rude it is to inturrupt someone when they're speaking, especially over something so trivial as a name. And you also know how rude it is to address figures of power by silly little nicknames. _Angani _there is merely a consort - a bargaining tool. As long as she's here, her pride is at our mercy."

"That's wrong!" Kucho spat, "Anga prefers this name! She told me that herself! And we couldn't simply use her. She's as alive as the rest of us!"

"Ah, you're right there, clever little Kuchoma. She's alive at this moment. But she doesn't always have to be. Just imagine it, Kuchoma!" Nyasi threw back his head and laughed uproariously, "Imagine it! A war with another pride, over their lost little princess! It would be just the opportunity to prove myself to Vuli that I am destined to be the next King around here!"

"Nyasi!" Kucho protested, "You can't! You can't kill her! If you do, you'll never be the prince. Vuli can recognize those with blood on their paws with a single look! That's why he's King around here!"

Anga stirred, and Kucho pricked his ears, narrowing his eyes in her direction. _Now would be the absolute worst time for her to wake up, _he realized.

"Oh?" Nyasi chuckled, following his gaze "It appears your princess is about to awaken, Kuchoma. Now is the time I should strike." He narrowed his eyes, however, as if in thought. "Perhaps, though. you are right about Vuli, so... why don't I cut you a little... deal?"

Kucho glanced warily at Nyasi, noticing how unlike him it was for him to change his mind. He flattened his ears. "What do you have in mind?" he growled lowly.

"Ah, look at that!" Nyasi laughed loudly, "Kuchoma, you've never sounded so threatening in your life! Dear brother, do you think you have a bit of a crush? A need to protect that little princess of yours?"

"Tell me, Nyasi!" Kucho growled, though he did cast another glance at Anga as the other lion mentioned her. "What is this deal?"

Nyasi rolled his eyes, "Dear little Kuchoma; always knows how to put a damper on a fun situation." he muttered to himself. "But if you want to hear it so bad... here it is." He leaned his head in extremely close to Kucho, "You leave. You and your little princess, run away and never return to these lands, and I'll spare you."

His eyes narrowed, and his grin receded, "But, if I find you or the princess on this land after morning tomorrow, I will kill you both without another thought. I hope you understand that, brother. I don't want to kill my kin, but I will. I was prepared to when I came here."

Kucho backed away, seeing Anga start to grow concious. "Alright," he said to Nyasi, "We'll leave. You can count on it." Just imagining her white pelt stained red sickened him. No matter what it was that stained it.

Nyasi's eyes glinted, "I'm sure I can," he said smoothly, backing up and beginning to walk away. "Remember, dear Kuchoma. You only have until dawn to get as far away as you can. Good luck, with that handicap of a princess."

Once he was out of sight, Kucho turned to Anga and began poking at her. "Angani, wake up," he said softly. It took a few moments, but the white lion blinked open her eyes.

"Yes, Kucho?" she asked, yawning.

"Listen, Angani, we have to leave. This place isn't safe for us anymore." Kucho said urgently.

"What?" she asked, sitting up, "Why?"

"I'll explain later," Kucho promised, "But we really have to leave. We have until dawn to get as far away from here as possible. If we don't..." he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Anga's eyes glinted with recognition. "It was your brother, wasn't it?" she said softly. At his affirmative answer, she smiled sadly, "I understand. We'd better get going, then. Lead on, Kucho."

Kucho nodded, turning and doing just that. Nyasi, from his nearby hiding place, chuckled ominously. "That was so much easier than I'd hoped it would be. Don't make me regret leaving you alive, little prince. I can't believe I hesitated there, of all times."

With a final snort, he turned away, drawing crocodile tears to his eyes as he walked back to his family. _Goodbye, dear brother._


	2. Chapter 1: Daylight

**Okay, good news. I haven't given up on the story. This one, that is. I don't usually write much in terms of stories. It literally took me forever to write this, and it's only 1,880 words of story. It was 1,879 words, but that bothered me. So I added another. Mild OCD over here.**

**Bad news: I am out of ideas. I never plan (though I chapter so after this chapter it's all scribbled out without any ideas. Kucho and Anga will probably go back and get rid of what's-his-face back at their old pride, but I don't even know when that'll be. **

**Anyway. There's a time skip. I don't want to write a ton of stuff about a couple of cubs surviving alone. That's not the point of this story. The point of this story is to be something I enjoy writing. So now they're not cubs. But not adults. They're like teenagers, meaning that Nyasi by now will be at least an adult, if not leading the old pride by now. I may make next chapter about him. I love Nyasi~**

**Enough of me. I hope my writing isn't as horrific as my spellchecker thinks it is. **

**- B**

* * *

Kuchoma - young adult lion, like a teenager lion or whatever. Shiny golden brown fur with a dark red tail-tuft Nd the beginnings of a dark brown mane around his head.

Angani - young adult lion, roughly the same age as Kucho. Her fur is white, and her eyes are a reddish brown.

Maua - young adult lion, older than Kucho, but not by much. Her fur is reddish brown, and her eyes are yellow.

Radi - adult lion, oldest. Pale tan fur and green eyes.

Other names you'll see: Maarifa (King of Maua and Radi's pride)

* * *

"Who're they?" Anga asked, her steps lightening slightly as she slowed and pointed with her ears toward a small group of lionesses. Kucho followed her gaze, tensing as he moved between her and them.

"I don't know," he growled with narrowed eyes, tail tip twitching, "We'd better move on before they know we're here. You know how lions are about their hunting grounds."

Anga tilted her head, studying her friend carefully. It had been quite a while since they had left Kucho's old pride, and they had both grown a lot. Her friend's fur had gotten even more golden, and the beginnings of a dark brown mane were starting to grow around his face. He had grown much more muscular and was clearly a powerful young lion. For this reason, Anga supposed, he liked to avoid other prides. If they felt threatened by him, they might try to get rid of him.

Anga, on the other hand, had barely grown in size much at all. Next to Kucho, she still looked like a cub, though compared to herself back when the fire started, she had at least tripled in size. Kucho remained just as protective as her, which sometimes felt like too much. She supposed, after his brother had threatened to kill her, her friend had just felt even more responsible for her safety. That was the thing with family.

One of the lionesses she'd spotted had noticed them, and was alerting the rest of the group when Anga peered out from behind Kucho. He growled, and his black claws slid out. She sighed, turning away to find an appropriate hiding spot, as always. SHe knew the drill by now.

She found a sot where she could easily peer out from between the blades of tall grass she crouched in, just in case her friend had any trouble. He hadn't in the past, always taking advantage of the fact that he was young or the fact that he was intimidating. He was at least as large as any of the lionesses, and Angani was sure he was stronger than any one of them was.

She strained her ears as one of them, a pale tan one, began to speak to him. If anything, she didn't look hostile. Maybe she was curious, but she didn't look like she was going to attack. A friendly wind brought a trace of her words to Anga's ears, "...another lion here before?"

"No, it's just me," Kucho lied so easily. Angani smiled smugly at being the one to teach him that, over the course of the last few weeks.

"Lying is allowed," she'd said. "Just don't tell lies you can't take back or change later."

"How do I know which ones those are?" Kucho had asked.

"You aren't stupid, Kucho!" She'd coughed right there, unable to stop for a few moments. Then she'd continued hoarsely, "Think before you do anything. Always be a step or three in front of the enemy, so you can never lose. And if you can do that, you can lie."

"I'm not so sure about that," another lion commented, "I smell something around here that suggests otherwise."

Kucho moved just slightly, a tiny movement of his paws on the ground, but enough to make Anga flatten her ears in frustration. Anyone who knew anything about lying knew not to move your feet while doing so. Shuffling your paws, especially, was a dead giveaway.

A cough rose in the young white lion's throat, and she choked it back. She wouldn't be able to hide her presence for much longer, at this rate. She stopped trying so hard to hear, burying her muzzle under her paws to keep from letting out any sound that'd give away her location.

"I assure you," Anga was startled by how certain Kucho sounded, "There is no such thing. I'm alone, and you can see that."

The lioness in the lead sighed, exasperated, and muttered something that Anga couldn't quite discern. It was either, "I'm getting tired of you," or, "I really hate liars."

Whatever it was, Kucho began to look more and more grumpy, "Honestly! I'm just passing through. A lone lion has no business on pride grounds, after all."

"So you know of prides," a meek looking, reddish lioness spoke up, her voice inquisitive, "But you choose to be alone?"

"There are more important things than food and hunting grounds and lots of lions around you." Kucho replied evenly. Anga smiled to herself. He made it clear that he was talking about her. His devotion was really flattering.

"That's absurd!" The lead lioness blurted, "What about the bonds of family?" When Kucho gave no reply but staring her directly in the face, she bared her teeth and stomped forward until she was face to face with the young lion. "Answer me!"

Kucho tensed, but otherwise made no move. The lioness lowered her growl, glaring daggers at him. Anga felt her stomach tie itself into a knot. She fought to hold back her coughing.

"Why would you leave your pride?" The lioness snarled in his face, "Why would you abandon friends and family? I can tell that you once lived in one, that you were an important figure in one, by the way you look. You were educated in the ways of a pride, by the way you talk. So why did you leave?" She narrowed her eyes, looking even more frightening, "Why did you abandon your family to a fate without you?"

Kucho gasped at those last words, and Anga nearly lost control of herself. It was as if the lioness had known that Kucho had left his pride to a tyrant of a king, and was telling him such a thing to his face. But there was no way she could have known. Anga had never seen this lion before.

Kucho began to shake. He looked away, no longer meeting the lioness's eyes. Anga could see the guilt scrawled on his face from anywhere.

"I had no choice but to leave," the words were faint, and Anga barely heard them on tiny scraps of wind. "No choice."

"And why was that?" The lioness pressed for details, her face not softening at all.

"It... it was..." Kucho looked strained, as if he didn't want to say anything, and was struggling not to. But there was something obviously forcing him to continue his sentence. He bowed his head, and Anga barely caught his words: "It was the only way to keep her safe."

"Her?" The lead lioness's eyes gleamed with triumph, "So there is another lion around here?"

The reddish lioness tilted her head at him. "Who is she to you, that you would protect her so unwaveringly?"

Kucho lifted his head to glare again, "That is none of your business," he spat, "I am just passing through, if you recall."

"What if we don't let you?" The leader's eyes gleamed, "We should take you to see our King, just in case."

"Oh, right," the red one's eyes lit up in recognition. Anga already hated her; she seemed unintelligent and shallow, like a puddle. "Father knows everything!"

"Then it's decided," the lead one smiled at Kucho, "So, now you have a few choices. Follow us to Maarifa, alone, without calling whoever it is that's so important to you, and not know the way back here."

Anga didn't like her, either. Her words were lies, telling her friend he had choices but really saying that he only had one. They were pretty, but under that layer they were uglier than a fire-scoured wasteland, and the lion who had started that fire. Combined.

The pair had learned a lot in their time away from the pride, and it was clear Kucho could tell what this lioness was trying to do.

"You could run," the red one piped up, looking proud of herself.

"Quiet, Maua." The lead one growled, turning her glare to the red one. She looked back at Kucho, looking even angrier. "You could run, yes, but we would pursue. And I suspect that you wouldn't leave this area without the other lion around here."

Kucho flattened his ears as she said, "Finally, you could call your friend over and come quietly to speak with our King Maarifa. In that way, you don't make enemies of us, and you don't abandon your friend."

Kucho didn't even stop to think once that third option was offered. He took a quick step back, getting away from the other lions, and glanced around quickly. Urgently. Anga nearly chuckled, but was stopped by herself, and then a cough. The funny part was that he looked like he was trying to escape.

She unburied her nose, creeping toward him with a grin on her face. Her ears were raised, and she was thankful that he was keeping their attention long enough for them to not notice her. They'd discussed such a strategy before, in case there was an ultimatum like this one offered. She hated to admit it, but her friend was really insightful sometimes.

"You won't abandon your friend, right?" The leader smiled cruelly at him, as though thinking he was frightened about something. Anga rolled her eyes at her, stalking forward more quickly.

"You wouldn't do that, right?" Maua looked around, trying to follow his gaze. "You don't really seem like the kind of lion to do that."

Anga could tell Kucho had spotted her when he turned his gaze confidently back to the group. "She isn't around anymore," he said with a smile, "So I don't have to worry."

Anga tensed and stopped moving, holding her breath in case she happened to cough. She waited for her cue.

"Is that so?" The leader sighed, shaking her head, "So what, then? You chose to come with us?"

Kucho shrugged, "Sure, why not? It's not as if I have anything better to do."

That's my signal, Anga thought, standing up and walking forward. "Count me in, too," she sighed. Her voice sounded perfect; not scratchy, not particularly emotional. Bored. She decided at that moment that she really did like acting. Kucho looked at her, forcing shock onto his face.

"And you are?" The leader looked at her appearing to note Kucho's reaction, but her expression twisted strangely. _No wonder,_ Anga smirked to herself, _she's probably never seen a white lion before._

"I don't mind being called Malkia." Anga shrugged, not missing a beat. She and Kucho had also come up with alternate names, in case of this situation. Again, it had been his idea.

"And you?" The leader looked at Kucho, who still stared in shock at Anga.

Kucho started. "Ah, sorry," he said to her, "Call me Kipa."

Maua smiled at them, "It's nice to meet you!" She spouted happily, "I'm Maua, and this is Radi!"

"Quiet, Maua!" Radi hissed, exasperation staining her voice.

"It's nice to meet you, too!" Anga returned Maua's smile, though only for the sake of annoying the one called Radi. She really only felt resentment toward the reddish lioness.

"Let's just get going," Radi growled, turning and beginning to lead the way. Exchanging a glance with Kucho, Anga and her friend followed.

Somehow, though, she got the feeling they wouldn't be leaving very soon.


	3. Chapter 2: Nyasi as King

**I want to start by saying that this a chapter and any one following this same storyline is intended as pure filler, which I'm creating now just in case Kucho's side gets all boring to write. I mean, I guess it goes into the head of Nyasi, but still...**

**There's a high chance that Nyasi is my favorite character to write. He's mildly bipolar, but charismatic and for some reason he actually has a heart and a functioning brain. I originally intended for him to be purely evil, but he just stood up and went LOLNOPE so this is the result of that. **

**I cannot say how much I wish I could write for longer amounts of time. It takes forever for me to write a chapter, and even after that I'm never satisfied. So I go and ignore it and put it up anyway, and that's what you read. If I were publishing this, I might try harder. Who knows?**

**I'll shut up now, and let you read my beautiful filler. YAAY.**

**- B**

* * *

Nyasi - pale tan lion with a dark, glossy mane and dark eyes. King of Kucho's old pride.

Matu - Nyasi's best friend. Cinnamon brown with a slightly lighter mane.

Samaki - Reddish lion with a gold mane. Matu's brother, Nyasi's not-so-good friend.

Other names you'll see: Kuchomo (Kucho, main character) Angani (Anga, main character) Vuli (former king)

* * *

Nyasi was furious.

He didn't understand exactly what was going on, but he had definitely tired of it all. The youngest cubs had done something to anger the elder ones, and some sort of war had broken out between the two groups. Of course the older group had the advantage, and the mothers kept coming to him, asking for assistance.

The time since Kuchoma and Angani had fled the pride's land had certainly treated him well. His dark mane was now glossy and long, the decoration of a true king, and his pale fur had also gotten shinier. He carried himself confidently, knowing the entire pride was constantly supporting him. He hadn't run into any real trouble since the short-lived war with Angani's pride had ended, and they were prosperous.

Nyasi didn't like to think of his little brother, and shook the thoughts out of his head. They always made him confused, and right now he needed to be focused. These two groups of bone-headed cubs were causing the entire pride grief, especially the mothers of the younger ones. He'd been content enough to leave it alone, but the complaints were getting more serious.

Apparently, a younger cub had gotten a permanent scar on his shoulder from one of these arguments. Nyasi was reluctant to let such risks live in his family. The point of being King was to be a protector.

He stood near the base of the cave in which he and the majority of the pride slept. The mothers of the younger cubs had moved to a nearby location to protect them from the older ones. It was honestly a little confusing; even Nyasi forgot just about every day. He'd been the one to suggest it.

He nodded to Matu, who stood guard at the entrance to the cave. Nyasi whispered, so as not to wake anyone, "Switch guards. I need some logical advice."

His friend nodded respectfully, disappearing into the cave as Nyasi began climbing the steep, rocky slope that led upward. From the top, you could see the extent of the land his pride hunted, and usually any prey or lions that stood around. It was an eye-opening experience, seeing the world from such a high-up place, and yet feeling small. It really brought to mind the Circle that Vuli had been so fond of mentioning.

At the top, Nyasi bowed his head to the previous King's gravesite, a shaded spot under an acacia tree in the distance. It had been a while since the old king had died in the deciding battle of the war. It had ended in a draw, and a truce. As the named heir, Nyasi had been the one to agree to the truce. He still remembered Vuli's dying words, and the feelings of guilt and other various negative things that he had felt.

He heard pawsteps behind him, and turned to greet them. It was Matu. The other lion had been Nyasi's best friend for as long as he could remember, and since he was much more analytical and logical, the King was always happy to ask for advice from him. At least Matu wasn't like his brother. Samaki would never cooperate with Nyasi unless it was something he was interested in. It was truly aggravating, considering both Matu and Samaki were pretty much made of pure genius.

"This is about the cubs, yeah?" Matu sounded friendly enough as he walked to Nyasi's side. "I can't think of anything else that you'd need to worry about."

"Yeah," Nyasi sighed, shaking his head. Over time, the disgusted expression that had characterized his face had faded, leaving him looking neutral unless he wasn't. It certainly made his face a lost less tired.

"I dunno," another voice called, and Nyasi heard the scuffing of paws against pebbles. He rolled his eyes as he recognized the voice. "Samaki, if you don't have anything helpful to say about the problem at hand..." He grumbled. He really couldn't stand Matu's brother.

"Ah, come on, Nyasi!" Samaki's voice became even less bearable to the King. "I was just trying to help my little brother see a little more of the world. You can't blame me for caring about kin."

That was a direct stab at Nyasi, but it was easily brushed off. The King had gotten used to the ridicule Samaki was constantly jabbing at him.

Matu shook his head at Samaki, "You know that I prefer being correct over seeing all the possibilities." He said, "Which is why I always end up being right, and you tend to guess wrong."

Samaki shrugged, looking at Nyasi with oddly blue eyes. "Trust me, sire, you could definitely use my help on this issue. Those cubs are going to want to keep their little game going, I'm sure of it."

Nyasi looked at Matu, who looked up at the sky. That was a clear sign that his friend had nothing else to add. Samaki was probably right, it seemed. He sighed, making it as clear as he could that he was reluctant to let Samaki help out. He had the aching suspicion that there would be more harm done than otherwise.

"In any case," Nyasi cleared his throat, taking a seat, "We can't simply go in and order them to stop."

"That'll breed resentment for us," Matu nodded his agreement.

"So we should see if we can redirect their energies into something better." Nyasi said thoughtfully.

"I dunno about that!" Samaki smiled cheerfully, "Cubs like their play fights and war games. Surely you haven't forgotten the games the three of us played?"

"Of course not," Nyasi sighed, exasperated, "But those were fake. We never used our claws, or hurt each other."

"So you're suggesting they see this as a real war?" Matu cocked his head in thought. "In that case..."

"We'll have to find a way to end that war!" Samaki grinned, "That'll be easy! After all, we ended a real war without any trouble whatsoever!"

Nyasi narrowed his eyes, "We had trouble." He growled, "Our King died."

"It wasn't much trouble for you." The other lion's grin grew sinister, "After all, it meant you got to be King."

Nyasi frowned. "That isn't the subject on hand, Samaki."

Matu jumped to his paws. "Hey, hey! No need for hostilities here. We're trying to end those things, not start more."

"You're right, Matu," Nyasi grumbled, turning his attention away from Samaki. "How are we going to do that."

"Why not end it the way the last war ended?" Samaki spoke again, "A truce."

"That truce was due to the leaders of both sides falling in battle," Nyasi said. "We can end it in a truce, but not the way that last war ended. That would be unforgivable."

Matu nodded his agreement. "Maki, why don't you convince them? The cubs really look up to you. If you educate them in the ways of a truce..." There was a begging quality to his voice, and Samaki looked at him askance.

"Just throwing all the work on me isn't going to get you anywhere," he muttered, "I'm here because I was bored, not to solve your problems."

Nyasi shook his head, "It wouldn't be so easy, Matu. These cubs have been going at it for far too long to be so easily corrected. We should have paid more attention sooner."

"You've been mourning your brother for the longest time, though!" Matu protested, "And then the King died, and you were just as heartbroken as us all! It's not your fault you were unable to pay attention."

"Grief is pretty blinding," Nyasi heard Samaki agree with a grudging roll of his eyes.

Nyasi sighed, his thoughts going back to the day of the fire, when Kuchoma had fled. It was all his fault, every last bit. He had the feeling he'd regret at least a part if that all his life, if only because the single lion he had looked up to had been slaughtered because of his actions.

"Look," Nyasi growled, "We can't do this without knowing exactly what's going on. Only the cubs know that. How can we learn about it on the inside?"

"That's easy." Samaki said.

Matu supplied the next part of the sentence. "A spy."


	4. Chapter 3: Memory

**Wow. I should have uploaded this a very long time ago. I've had it finished for weeks now, but I never got around to uploading it. It's almost like it was my homework, actually. Kinda dumb that it took this long to find free time enough. **

**In any case, it's here now. Sorry for anyone who enjoys this and thought I was quitting it or something. Oops. I promise that I'll update on a semi-regular schedule from this point forward. **

**- B**

* * *

Kuchoma - young adult lion. Shiny, golden brown fur with a dark red tuft of fur at the end of his tail and the beginnings of a dark brown mane around his head.

Angani - young adult lioness. Her fur is white, her eyes are red-brown.

Maarifa - Reddish fur with a very dark brown mane and powerful build.

Maua - young adult lioness. Reddish fur with yellow eyes.

Other names you'll see: Radi (escorted Kucho and Anga)

* * *

"So you're this..." Kucho blanked out on the name. With an embarrassed glance at Anga, which she didn't seem to notice, he took a stab at it. "Maa... something."

This lion was the King of this pride, the one that they'd been led to. He had reddish fur, strong muscles, and a dark mane that reminded him of Nyasi's. He held himself proudly, looking like a true king should. Kucho felt a small pang of jealousy; this lion had what he could never get anymore.

Despite that thought, he couldn't bring up any more feelings of resentment toward Nyasi. He'd been avoiding the thought of his brother for as long as he could. It brought up powerful, incapacitating memories when he did.

The king nodded, a small, amused smile directed at Kucho, and the young lion felt relieved that he wouldn't be mocked for that mistake. "Maarifa," he reminded Kucho. "And you are?"

Kucho felt himself stand up straighter. "My name's Kipa, sir." it was difficult to use his made-up name, difficult to get used to. But Anga had suspected that if Nyasi was cruel enough to forcefully drive them from their own home, he might tell nearby prides to stay away from them, and there was always that chance that news would spread.

It wasn't a risk either of them had been willing to take. Even though Kucho had appointed himself Angani's personal guard, he knew that brute force wasn't going to solve all their problems. And he admitted that she was considerably more clever than him. He put her safety above his, though, which is why they'd brainstormed so many different actions to take should danger be spotted.

There were many forms of danger to a pair of adolescent lions. The number had lessened since the time they were cubs, but the worst ones would never go away.

Among these, one of the most dangerous was other prides. This was why Kucho's paws burned as he wanted to flee. He wanted nothing more than to get himself and Anga out of there. But these lions seemed just hostile enough that they would pursue, and Kucho refused to risk so much.

Hopefully, this Maarifa character would be understanding and let them leave as soon as he mentioned that they were just passing through.

"We found them slinking around," Maua said, sounding rather self-assured. "It was Radi's idea to bring them to you, though. She seems suspicious."

Maarifa chuckled at this information. "Is Radi ever anything but suspicious?" he asked Maua rhetorically. "She sees a conspiracy in everything. So, Kipa," he turned back to Kucho, brown eyes friendly, "It's not often that a pair of lions come onto this land, especially not ones as young as you two." Kucho could see the light of curiosity in the old lion's eyes. "Is there a particular reason that you two are wandering around as loners at such a young age?"

Anga stepped forward, her paws making a noticeable sound on the ground. "We left our old pride," she divulged. She seemed relaxed enough giving that information out, but Kucho knew that she didn't have a loose tongue. She was being doubly cautious, even if she didn't seem like it.

"What drove you to do that?" Maarifa pressed.

"We weren't given much of a choice," Kucho growled bitterly, "They didn't want us. So we got out of there as quickly as possible."

"They didn't want you?" the king now seemed only more curious, "You seem like promising young lions."

"Yeah," Kucho nodded in agreement, "But my own brother was horribly jealous of me, and the rumors he spread were pretty hurtful."

"He was kind enough to take me with him," Anga added, "Kipa here is my only friend in the world."

Kucho glanced at her, surprised that she'd add such a trivial piece of information before he noticed that it added a solid feeling to their story. "Yeah, I'm glad you came, too," he said, "It'd be lonely."

"And that's your definition of having no choice?" Maarifa seemed amused, "A few bullies drove you out with nothing but words?"

"Yes, exactly," Kucho's ears flattened without him telling them to, meaning that he was slightly insulted. "The things they said basically ruined the standing I had as heir. I would have been driven out anyway, so I left on my own."

"They did say some pretty terrible things." Anga added. "They tried to hurt me and blame it on him. What he says is true."

That wasn't too far from the truth, actually. Kucho was thankful he had Anga's help; he didn't have enough of a brain to keep himself out of some of these situations. Maarifa seemed like an intelligent lion, and probably wouldn't take him at his word. It would be weird if he did.

"So it wasn't just words, then," Maarifa said, "But threats as well. Well, I can't really expect young lions like you to know the difference," His voice was haughty, but there was an amused sparkle in his eyes that gave away his joke. Kucho decided he liked this lion; he had a clear sense of responsibility for his duty, but wasn't stuck-up or stuffy.

He was approachable, and friendly. Besides that, it was clear his pride felt very loyal toward him. Kucho half-wished he could stick around and learn from this example, but he recognized that that was the last thing he actually wanted. SOmehow, Nyasi would find out.

"By the way," Maarifa's face lit up in realization, "You said that you were the heir of your pride?"

Kucho squeezed his eyes shut, recalling that careless sentence and regretting it. He was letting way too much slip today. "Er... yeah, I did." he mumbled, looking back at the King.

"In that case," Maarifa chuckled, "I don't think your real name is Kipa, is it?"

Kucho narrowed his eyes, "Where'd you get that idea?" he wondered, his paws prickling as he worried that Nyasi had even told these lions about him.

"Well," Maarifa shrugged, "Princes aren't normally given names so ordinary, you know. It tends to be something that makes them stand out from the normal crowd."

Kuchoma is definitely one of those names, Kucho thought, suddenly remembering his brother's obstinate refusal to use is nickname. He winced as the rush of memory fogged is vision once again.

"Kuchoma. I have to congratulate you, dear brother," he heard the all-too-familiar memory in the back of his mind. The half-growl in Nyasi's voice as he'd said that name, as if it were the last thing on the planet he wanted to be saying. The heavy sarcasm on the word dear. "I thought you both would have died."

Nyasi had said that wistfully, his eyes looking up at the ugly sky and his face becoming slightly mournful.

Reliving the memory, Kucho still felt the rush of betrayal as though an elephant had blindsided and trampled him. He felt his accusing words ring in the back of his throat, the same one's he'd said. "No thanks to you."

Nyasi had seemed to just notice him again, and sneered. He was lying, when he'd said he hadn't said a word. Kucho wondered if Matu had perhaps heard, or one of the other nearby lions. Vita, perhaps. he wondered what ridiculous lie his own brother had made up to convince them to abandon himself and Anga to the flames.

Kucho felt a touch on his shoulder, pulling him back to reality. Anga's worried eyes stared into his face, and he blinked a few times before nodding at her. "I'm alright now."

Anga wasn't the only one with a disability now, it seemed. But she could suppress her coughing, while he could do nothing about... whatever this was. Kucho now lived half in the past, the memories occasionally overwhelming him, as they had just now.

Maarifa's eyes, when Kucho looked back at them, held a new curiosity. "I didn't know that was possible," the older lion explained, "To lose your sense of reality because of a thought.

Kucho ducked his head in embarrassment, hearing Anga next to him holding back one of her coughs. Maarifa chuckled again.

"Perhaps you made up names so you didn't have to bring back these memories?" he suggested. Kucho's ears flicked, and he felt his eyes narrow as he held back the urge to let the truth spill out. He was gaining more respect by the second for this lion, and the lies were starting to bother him. It was his opinion that you shouldn't lie to the lions you respect.

At his lack of an answer, Maarifa chuckled once more. "How about this, Kipa," he said, "Let's make a deal. I'll stop nagging you if you tell me your real names."

"Real names?" Kucho repeated, looking dumbly into the King's face. "Hey," he looked at his pale-furred companion, "Is that a fair trade?" He was relying on Anga to decide that, for more reasons than one.

Anga rolled her eyes at him, though she was clearly considering it carefully. He knew he could trust her to do that. Finally, after several moments, she nodded hesitantly, "I don't think it could hurt..."

Kucho looked back at Maarifa, "You promise you won't nag us?" he asked, just to make sure.

"Of course," the older lion nodded firmly, "A true King never breaks his promises."

"Alright," Kucho sighed, shaking his head. "My name is Kucho, and this is Anga."

Maarifa narrowed his eyes, looking at Kucho as if analyzing the truth he was saying. Finally, he muttered, "That's impossible."

"What?" Kucho furrowed his brow, tilting his head to the side in confusion, "What in the world to you mean by that?"

"By my reports," Maarifa muttered, mostly to himself, it seemed, "Kuchoma and Angani died in a fire."

Kucho's eyes widened, and he felt is muscles automatically tense. "What was that?" he breathed, feeling himself tremble a tiny bit. "Your... reports?"

Maarifa nodded, his smile widening slightly, "Of course! A good king keeps track of everything that happens, if it's important. It's only right that I keep contact with other prides, so I can be warned of what might be dangerous to my own family."

"That makes sense," Kucho admitted, "But I assure you, we didn't die in that fire. It was a trick, so my brother could make himself the next heir."

"That'd be Nyasi, yes?" Maarifa asked thoughtfully, studying Kucho and Anga carefully, "He did end up becoming the king, though I hear he's quite a good one, who looked up to Vuli tremendously. He doesn't seem like the type of lion to do such a thing."

"Maybe now, sure," Kucho muttered, "But I wouldn't be in front of you right now if it hadn't happened."

"Or you could be lying." Maarifa pointed out. "Either way, though, you're going to stay here. I couldn't let a pair of inexperienced lions out into the wilderness with a clean conscience. How did you survive so long on your own?"

"We reaped the goodwill of others," Anga said, "Nobody wants to see starving cubs, so they helped us a bit. And we could scavenge off of hyena kills sometimes."

"I don't believe it," Maarifa chuckled, "There's almost no way you two could be alive, and yet you are." He shook his head, still laughing, "Maua, show these two around. I have to decide what to do about this. I'm honestly baffled."

He turned away, walking deeper into the cave. Maua got to her feet, flicking her tail at Kucho and Anga.

"I guess you two are coming this way!" The reddish lioness said cheerfully, prancing in the lead out of the cavern. "You can meet all the other members of the pride, since it seems like you'll be staying here for awhile, right?"

Kucho sighed. He didn't much want to leave, though staying seemed like a bad option. His glance at Anga didn't get any useful response, either.

"Yeah, I guess we are," he mumbled. He wished already that they could leave. Being around other lions was going to be difficult to get used to.


End file.
